Backstreet Boys' Kevin Richardson Reflects on Vegas Residency So Far as They Add 15 New Dates

6/14/2017

Denise Truscello

Backstreet Boys perform during their Las Vegas Residency.

Backstreet's Back, all right! Just as their remaining Las Vegas residency dates got down to single digits, the Backstreet Boys announced that they are adding 15 more dates to the "Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life" show in November, January and February.

After kicking things off March 1, the guys have only grown to love their Vegas residency more and more thanks to the incredible fan reaction, as well as the fact that it's allowed BSB to stay in one place for a long period of time. That's been one of the biggest highlights for Kevin Richardson, who chatted with Billboard about the extension.

"We’re all enjoying it, we’re all having a great time," he says. "It’s just very convenient for us and our lifestyles, and the fact that we’re starting our creative right now with new music."

The new dates are as follows: Nov. 8, 10, 11, 15, 17 and 18; Jan. 31; and Feb. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16 and 17. To celebrate the addition of these dates, the Backstreet Boys surprised 15 lucky fans who have birthdays on those days with an early present to go see the Larger Than Life show (and meet the guys) on their next birthday. Check out a video of the guys surprising those fans, as well as our interview with Richardson, below.

Why did you want to extend your residency? And do you think you guys will maybe add more than the 15 dates you just announced?

I think so. Just to not have to hop on a bus or a plane or unpack and pack in a new hotel room every night or whatever, to not have to travel and be able to stay in one place is very convenient for us.

It also allows us to be creative and get in the studio, and it allows us to go around and play other shows, because we’re gearing up for new material, a new single and a new album coming up. We’re planning on going on a world tour next year as well, we’re going to be doing both. We’re having a great time, and the reaction’s been great, so things are good.

What are some of your standout memories from the last two months?

I mean, we can start off by opening night, which was incredible. Hitting that stage for the first time with a new show in Las Vegas, the response we got, the energy that was coming our way, that was awesome. Opening night’s always incredible.

Another is being able to have friends and family from all over the U.S. come out and visit and go to our show. Looking out and seeing my 3-year-old with his chin on the front of the stage, looking up at me, smiling, singing along, up and dancing and jumping around, both my sons -- Maxwell and Mason -- out there in the audience with my wife. That’s special. Seeing my 3-year-old, you know, for the first time putting it all together in his mind, “Oh wow, OK, this is what Dad does,” that’s pretty incredible. And to be with my wife alone and have some mom and dad time has been incredible as well.

What are some of the things you guys have taken notes on that you may implement in your future shows?

We talked about putting in an a cappella number, because we love to do that. We feel like that may be an element that is missing, that we’d like to incorporate into the show. We’ve also talked about maybe adding -- it’s Las Vegas, so you want to keep it up and in the party mode -- but we’ve thrown around the idea of throwing a little acoustic set in, possibly, as well.

There are songs that, of course, were on our greatest-hits album that should absolutely be in the show, and then are just some of our favorites that we’ve put in the show. We talked about rotating some of those songs with some other of our favorites as well.

Is there a song that seems to be getting a great response because of how you guys have put it together?

I think the most interesting, dramatic setups are “Show Me the Meaning (Of Being Lonely),” that is introduced with the string arrangement and everything before, and the dancers, and then we come up, and the way it’s lit and the way we perform it. And then also “The Call,” the way that is, it’s a very sexy, almost 50 Shades-type vibe in the beginning of that song.

Is there anything that this experience has taught you about the Backstreet Boys as a band or as performers?

I think maybe it’s reinforced the fact that we have a great music catalog and that people genuinely, lots of people, have lots of fond memories of us and our music and that they want to see it, they want to hear it, and they want to relive it.

There’s a lot of love and positive energy coming our way right now. If you’re in this business long enough, you get to experience these different waves of energy and the highs and the lows and everything. You get to experience it over and over again. So we’re cherishing every moment.

Tickets for the newly added dates go on sale Friday, June 16, at 10 a.m. PT. To purchase tickets and get more information on all of the "Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life" dates, click here.